Rio de Janeiro: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is in hot water over allegations that he tried to illegally import jewelry worth millions of dollars given to him and his wife by Saudi Arabia.
The scandal has sparked multiple investigations, potentially complicating life for Bolsonaro – who is expected to return to Brazil soon from the United States, where the far-right ex-military captain Succesor Luiz Inacio predates Lula da Silva. , assumed office on January 1.
Here’s a look at what we know about the case.
Where did the jewels come from?
Bolsonaro’s then Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, says an “emissary” of the Saudi government gave his delegation two packages at the end of an official visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2021.
When the delegation returned to Brazil, customs inspectors found an Albuquerque aide carrying a box in his bag — undeclared — according to JEE News, which broke the story.
The authorities learned that it was full of diamonds, and confiscated them for failure to pay the required import duty.
JEE News reported that the Bolsonaro administration tried at least eight times to convince customs inspectors to release the jewels, starting on the third-to-last day of his term, when he dispatched a naval officer to the Sao Paulo airport. Is it to put pressure on the authorities? above the diamonds.
Later reports said the second package escaped detection and was given to Bolsonaro, who kept it for himself.
The former president denied wrongdoing, telling JEE News that there was “nothing illegal” on his part.
What was in the boxes?
Both packages were from Swiss luxury house Chopard.
The first, which Albuquerque filmed telling customs officials, was for former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who had a necklace, ring, watch and earrings worth three million euros ($3.2 million).
Another had a men’s watch, ring, pair of cufflinks, pen and prayer beads set, valued at at least $75,000.
What’s under investigation?
Under Brazilian law, travelers entering the country with luggage worth more than $1,000 must declare them.
The owner would then have to pay an import duty of 50% on the additional value of more than $1,000—and in this case a hefty fine for failing to declare the jewelry.
Jewelry could enter Brazil tax-free as an official gift to the country. But then, according to legal experts, he would have belonged to the presidential palace complex, and not to the first family.
“Government officials are strictly prohibited from accepting high-value gifts for themselves – even the president,” said Isaac Falcao, head of Sandefesco, the union representing tax authority employees.
“Every civil servant knows this,” he told JEE News.
Both the federal police and the tax authority have started investigations.
The head of the Senate Transparency Committee has also announced an investigation into whether the jewels were linked to the March 2021 sale of an oil refinery in northeast Brazil to Mubadala, the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund, for $1.65 billion. were
Where are the jewels?
Tax official André Martins told JEE News the first set of jewels “is in a safe at Garolhos airport” in Sao Paulo, where they were seized by customs inspectors.
The tax authority said the deadline to regularize their legal status has expired in July 2022. Now they can be auctioned off, donated, added to the national collection or destroyed.
Brazilian media reported Monday that Bolsonaro had agreed to hand over a second set of jewelry to authorities pending an investigation.
What happens next?
Brazil’s Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), which oversees government coffers, last week ordered both Bolsonaro and Albuquerque to face questioning by police.
According to local media, Albuquerque told investigators on Tuesday that he did not know what was in the packages but considered them to be official gifts to the nation.
No date has yet been announced for Bolsonaro’s ouster.
In Saudi Arabia, little notice has been taken of the incident, and there has been no official response from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
But it has dominated the headlines in Brazil – a potential wrench in Bolsonaro’s plans to return from Florida in the near future and lead opposition to Lula’s government.
